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Very valid points made in your piece Clarence re the money floating around local cricket at the moment. I am less concerned about the sums of money or how many people that are getting paid in certain teams, but more so the opportunities that are now not being afforded to young cricketers to play at the top level.

I believe there should be a quota on the number of Irish cricketers under a certain age that each team must play. In this way the young talent will be exposed playing with and against the top cricketers that are floating about.

I think it is very sad when young cricketers are forced to play 2nd 11 cricket or move to lower leagues to get a game when paid players come in and take their place for a year.

I completely agree with Neil's point that if you boast about your youth development there has to be a commitment to push the talent through your club to the top team.

I am obviously with a club where there is this conflict and by no means I am saying that we get the balance correct at all times but removing professionals or stopping paying players is not the solution. How to ever police whether or not individuals are getting paid is the biggest challenge with no solution in my opinion.

I remember watching in awe Roger Hughes the Australian professional at cregagh when I was 17 years old - To play with him week in week out bread confidence within the team and made us all play at a higher level - that is surely what you want young cricketers to experience.

Clarence,

Very interesting article on WILL LOCAL CRICKET GO DOWN THE MONEY DRAIN?

At the moment, I think the answer is sadly yes.

When you hear what is going on in local cricket.......the amount of overseas players with Irish passports being employed and the scenario of paying local Irish based players to play (or be your YDO), you wonder why clubs keep harping on about their youth sections being the life blood of their club.

It is in one way hypocritical of them because are these kids ever going to be given a chance at the highest level or will they just bat 9, 10 and 11 and never get a chance to bowl?

I can see the rational of bringing in a load of paid players if you were getting £50,000 for winning the league or cup but this is not the case in these islands.

I am not being critical of any specific club because my own club brought in an overseas Irish passport holder a few years ago and I think Lurgan was the first club to have two overseas players with Rahul Mankad and Rohan Shah playing in the same season in the 80's

When you hear that 80% of North West would consider doing a U turn on paying players, then you have got to wonder what state the NCU clubs will be in a few years time as they are going down the North West route at present.

One last thing is that if the ICU are pumping in money to have provincial teams playing on a regular basis, then maybe the way forward is for all the premier clubs to have a certain amount of regulation in relation to how many paid hands they are allowed....or will it not matter at all because in a few years time they may all be being paid for playing for the provincial teams on a full time basis and therefore the clubs will not need to pay them as they will never play for their clubs.

Malcolm Brodie
The man who made us sportsfans always to read newspapers from the BACK page!!
R.I.P.

Clarence raises some interesting points in his feature on the money "drain". I note particularly his fear of a "division" in local cricket but I would contend that such a divide already exists. As in the English Premiership so in the top Section in NCU - only one of a coterie 4 teams is going to win either title with the others far behind. And for those who rush to state otherwise I simply direct them to the gulf that exists between the various Divisions. There are clubs who will never achieve Premier status nor have a desire to do so. The result will be a continuing stagnation or indeed drop in the overall standards of the local game vis-a-vis 25 years ago. Voltaire wrote that "God is on the side of the big battalions". For NCU cricket substitute the word big for high spending. The signs are already out there in respect throughout sport as detailed by Hiler.

Very sorry to hear about Malcolm Brodie's death this morning, a superb journalist and speaker. Although passionate about football he was also a great cricket lover. I hope Clarence finds time to pen a few words of his experiences and meetings with the great man. May he rest in peace.

Deepest sympathy to Ivan and the McCombe family on the death of their mother.

Re Sky Sports

Just a brief update from my previous post on this topic. A number of Clubs contacted me in support of an approach of some kind to Sky. I have obtained details of the main Sky Commercial contact for Northern Ireland and have passed these details to the NCU. It is hoped that an approach from the Union will convince Sky to extend its present deal which would be a real benefit to a number of Clubs at a difficult time. I will post any further updates in due course.

Have been in touch with plenty of clubs already I know but just posted this on the 'other channel' so copying here in case anyone is not aware of the following and would like to partake in the draw.
Fundraiser:

Without going into too much detail here we are continuing with the fundraising effort for Cricket Ireland's U19 coach and Talent Development officer Ryan Eagleson. The event on 8th February is now completely sold out but ballot tickets are still avaialable for the chance to win one (or more) of the fantastic signed shirts that we have managed to have donated. A full list of what can be won in the draw is at www.drawingthetrade.com/page3.htm but as a sample we have signed Warwickshire Championship shirts from Ireland's captain and also Boyd Rankin. There are also signed Somerset Championship and T20 shirts and on top of that we even have a fully signed and framed Ireland one day shirt which would adorn any clubhouse (or living room if you're lucky). Added to all that for footy fans there's a signed Arsenal FC 2012 shirt and also an Ulster rugby shirt signed by the current squad. There are others to have a look at on the site.
If anyone would like to buy some tickets you can do so, again on the website online shop at www.drawingthetrade.com/page4.htm where they are £5 for each 6 tickets. You will receive a return confirmation email with your ticket numbers included. Alternatively I can be contacted on email emeal@talktalk.net if you would prefer me to send out some books of ten. Getting close to the draw date of 8th Feb if you want posted out. Any questions/thoughts feel free to drop me a line and I will hopefully post on here the details of a possible future auction on some of the other shirts we have coming in.
Thanks to everyone in Cricket Ireland and beyond who have donated some fantastic shirts. Visit the site above and maybe win one for your club. (or of course yourself).

Thanks
Ally

Yes it is that time of the year again when prospective umpires get the chance to learn about the game and gain an insight into the game that we love and sometimes hate at times. Unfortunately it is just a different year but the same old problem when the course has been poorly subscribed from the larger clubs in the NCU and to be honest do the clubs actually realise how losing 8 umpires can create extra headaches for Ian Houston? Certain clubs are simply failing in their duty to promote umpiring and provide members who even if they only do 10 games in a season would solve what could become an appointments crisis in future years. So the message for the clubs and players who complain about umpires is to ask how you could help and put yourself forward. It is not too late to register for our course which begins on Tuesday 29th January 2013 and I would ask you to support NIACUS and local cricket.

could someone post directions to the venue for the umpires course?

A Brandyball coloured sweet

From hectic city's maddening throng, a getaway, to lone mountain peak, so far away, like shipwreck survivor, a castaway, I made stealth retreat
The rocky terrain, upwards a long transcend, atop terra firma the ascend, to high frontier and satisfyingly, journey’s end, at last complete
Astonishment! An elderly man stood there, of my persona seemed aware, as down unbroken remained his stare, upon jungle, of steel and reinforced concrete
From outermost, protruding ledge, beckoning with stick of blackthorn hedge, alongside him to gaze o’er the edge, was his clear entreat.
At first unease my feeling, then curiosity came stealing, his countenance, grandiose and genteeling, so aside him I stood on precipice, to view the hordes effete
Then in steady voice unfazing,he spoke of a story amazing, below describing a scenic setting so emblazing, as we stood there gazing, though my presume, declining sight on his mind, wrought a wicked cheat?

"Regard below bereft of guilt, the fields around like patchwork quilt, as erstwhile men swathe crop, firm grip on sickle's hilt", alas below, no sign to me of barley, corn or yellowed wheat!
"Take in the tranquil village and yon sunny day, the children all outside, contented in their play, mothers busy, within kitchen parlours, separating curds from whey, my picture not yet replete
Behold the centre green and the marvellous sight, of men in cotton shirts and flannels of linen white, they play the hallowed game, the watching crowd, ensconced in sheer delight
And there's my dear old skipper waving up at me, wondering when his strike bowler, none other than O.W.B. will in kindred spirit most esprit, join again that team so elite"?
Then turned and pointing low, stating, "it's time to go", so together, the long decent below, once again to reach level plateau, we bid farewell and in my palm he did bestow, a brandyball coloured treat
I don't know why I cannot say, to the cricket club I made my way, through decorated gallery I did foray, there between silver accolades on display, somewhat discreet
A faded photo and to immense surprise, therein a smiling face in much younger guise, middle, rear centre row, of eleven he did comprise, his face gave me to recognise, the inscription beneath, in letters neat
The winning team, McMullan Memorial Cup 1930 the year, man of the match, initials, O.W.B. 6 for 22, bold and clear, this brought to my eye, reflective tear, as still within my pocket, a brandyball coloured sweet !

by Caleb Kirkpatrick Boomer

Kyle/WARINGSTOWN

(NOT OUR BELOVED SKIPPER I AM RELIABLY INFORMED BUT A DIFFERENT KYLE)

Appreciate your support and understanding that this is a work in progress - hope more appreciate this.

It I can hopefully shed more light on matters youth.

UNDER 15 LEAGUE - 12 teams opted for Div 1 (two 6s with 5 league matches, with top 2 teams in each going into semi-finals)
11 teams opted for division 2 and along with 3 'B' sides make a total of 14 with 7 team leagues, semi finals and final.

UNDER 13 LEAGUE - only 8 teams opted for Division 1. So 7 league matches with the top 2 going into a final.
17 teams opted for division 2 so along with 4 'B' teams we had 21 sides. Unfortunately this is far from ideal - the under 15 split is much easier! 21 teams is too big for 2 leagues. 3 leagues makes qualification for later stages extremely complicated. We have opted for 4 regionalised sections of 5,5,5 and 6. To provide further cricket we have also introduced quarter finals as well as semis and finals. The stronger teams will get the opportunity of more cricket. I hope next term we will have a more even split,

UNDER 11S - 6 teams opted for division 1, so 5 league matches plus semi finals and final.
13 teams opted for division 2, so two regionalised leagues (6 and 7) with semi finals and final.
10 teams opted for division 3, so 2 fives with semi finals and final.

In addition we have excluded the division 1 sides from the initial rounds of each of the cups, theoretically at least increasing the chances of division 2 or 3 sides having a cup run.

The balance will change every year as the NCU will try very hard to accommodate the wishes of the clubs as regards the placement of teams.It is a very flexible system which will result in different teams in different leagues and different numbers of teams in leagues each season

Neale/Simon.

I can't speak for all at Donaghcloney because I know there was a lot of opinion on last year's structure but personally I thought there was more positives than negatives, I do however agree that change was needed and it was an improvement on having things just regionalised,

Having various divisions does give an added bonus and incentive to winning, I enjoyed it more than with the regions but I wasn't entirely comfortable with the 4 top tiers and then just the 2 bottom, I'd have similar concerns about the U13s this year with only 1 top league, haven't seen the 15s plans yet though. Perhaps there could be a case for regionalising first and then divisions? What would be section A+B amalgamated and then put into divisions? Similar with C+D?

Having just had another look I see Division 2 teams only get 5 games and there's no home and away. Surely we should be looking to get the 13s as many games as possible, by 15s plenty of the guys are playing Saturday cricket too.

So overall my opinion is that the divisions were an improvement on purely regions, but are still not perfect, it's a new idea and will take a few years to work properly, but a step in the right direction.

Re Sky Sports

Just wanted to highlight an offer presently being promoted by Sky TV in England. This allows cricket clubs "registered with the ECB" to enjoy significant savings on Sky commercial packages. Under the scheme a basic Sky sports package costs £133 per month (excluding vat). A full sports package costs £211 per month (excluding vat). I understand that this significantly below the usual rate for a bar.

The web link to the relevant flyer is:-

http://static.ecb.co.uk/files/ecb-clubs-package-price-flyer-march-12-11982.pdf

I have been advised by Sky that the offer does not extend to Northern Ireland or Scotland (in spite of the fact that the agreement to be signed includes UK in the title).

I was advised by Sky that if the relevant cricket union contacts them they may agree to extend the offer beyond Clubs registered with the ECB.

Not sure how many clubs have sky presently but I assume that an approach from the Union may be worthwhile. We had Sky at Woodvale a few years back but the cost was hard to justify. This would be more attractive.

would anyone be interested in cricket kit for one Bag,Bat,gloves pads ect
please mail or phone 07706417727
will deliver in greater belfast area if required